The Spiritual Exercises of Saint
Ignatius of Loyola (composed from 1522–1524) are a set of Christian
meditations, prayers and mental exercises, divided into four thematic 'weeks'
of variable length, designed to be carried out over a period of 28 to 30 days. They
were composed with the intention of helping the retreatant to discern Jesus in
his life, leading him to a personal commitment to follow him. Though the
underlying spiritual outlook is Catholic, the exercises can also be undertaken
by non-Catholics. The 'Spiritual Exercises' booklet was formally approved in
1548 by Paul III. The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius form the cornerstone
of Ignatian Spirituality —a way of understanding and living the human
relationship with God in the world exemplified in the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits). Although originally designed to take place in the setting of a
secluded retreat, during which those undergoing the exercises would be focused
on nothing other than the Exercises, in his introductory notes, Ignatius
provides a model for completing the Exercises over a longer period without the
need of seclusion. The Exercises were designed to be carried out while under
the direction of a spiritual director. The Spiritual Exercises were never meant
only for the vowed religious. Ignatius of Loyola gave the Exercises for 15
years before he was ordained, and years before the Society of Jesus was even
founded. After the Society was formed, the Exercises became the central
component of the Jesuit novitiate training program, and they usually take place
during the first year of a two year novitiate. Ignatius considered the examen, or spiritual self-review, to be
the most important way to continue to live out the experience of the Exercises
after their completion. When lay people have undergone the Exercises, this is
often under the guidance of a spiritual director who is a member of the
religious order of Jesuits. In contemporary experience, more and more lay
people and non-Catholics are becoming both retreatants and directors of the
Exercises ■
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